Driving back to the UK

I've just driven calais to San Javier. 26 hours in total. Avoided toll roads. Used 2.5 tanks of diesel in a 2 litre mercedes £180.

Calais to Rouen

Rouen to Tours 

Tours to Poitiers

Poitiers to Bordeaux 

Bordeaux to Pau (overnight stop) 16 hours

Pau over the Pyrenees to Huesca

Huesca to Zaragoza 

Zaragoza  to Teruel

Teruel to Valencia 

Valencia to Alicante

Alicante to San Javier 10 hours 

Toll roads would of cost me 290 euro in France and 70 euro in Spain

Be careful of the speed cameras in France. They are not painted yellow like they are in the UK. Usually a black box hidden at the side of the road 

Hi John we do the trip from Castalla to Calais using non toll roads as do many people. When you call up Google maps just request toll free. I can't comment on the rest as we do the journey over 3 days - we have two small dogs who need frequent walkies. Good luck and enjoy the journey - beautiful countryside/mountains. 

You can use >viamichelin<  on the internet. There you find all you questions answered. It gives you also alternative routes so you can compare the pro/cons to toll roads. 

Thankyou all for your helpful comments. It would be beneficial to take our Grand C4 least of all because we can bring back loads of stuff that we left behind when we moved over here.Also a nice road trip would be a break from the airport hustle. I wonder it my Spanish played car is covered for driving into the UK ?...Maybe it's in the insurance schedule  I don't know. 

Just driven to Yorkshire from Los Alcázares but used ferry from Santander to Plymouth. 5 hours ish to North of Madrid, overnight hotel then 3 hours to ferry port. Overnight at sea arriving Plymouth 4pm, stayed Days Inn Tewksberry overnight then on to Leeds. Relaxing journey, one toll @ €2.35, averaged just over 100 kph, approx 5l petrol/100kms in hybrid.

hi John. looking at previous replies, dont know how helpful this will be to you but we have just driven down from the Isle of Wight. Did crossing Newhaven to Dieppe as this was the cheapest. We took toll roads as it was 1300 miles to puerto de mazarron and we needed to get here with Peugeot 207 estate and trailer. Total cost with fuel and tolls (really expensive in France) was 360 euros. fuel was obviously more expensive due to trailer and 2 top boxes fully loaded car etc etc

good luck

I believe you need to be Spanish resident to drive Spanish plated car in UK (but check with DVLC).

You are correct.

See this

https://www.eyeonspain.com/forums/posts-long-21770.aspx

And this

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports

In reality the UK police probably would not bother you BUT it is actually illegal.